Over 40% of parents in financial difficulty over school uniform costs

Two fifths of parents have been put into financial difficulty over the cost of school uniforms, a new study has revealed.

The study by online personalised clothing retailer Banana Moon Clothing looked into school uniforms across the UK and their value for money.

It revealed that over two fifths of parents (43%) have gotten into financial difficulty due to purchasing their child’s school uniform, and almost a third (29%) have had to seek financial help to cope with the costs.

Parents are spending £329 per child on school uniforms each year, meaning an average family with two children would spend around £658 per year. With 8.5 million children in school according to the Department of Education, this equates to over £2.7 billion pounds being spent on uniforms each year across the UK.

Two thirds of parents (66%) said that the reason they were struggling to cope with the cost of their child’s school uniform was because of pressure from schools to purchase from official retailers.

Over a third (36%) of respondents said that the school uniforms they have been purchasing are poor value for money and over half (58%) said that there’s simply not enough financial support for those who are unable to afford the cost.

Some schools do offer help with the cost of school uniforms, but they are able to opt out of the discretionary school clothing grant if they have insufficient funds.

One of the regions that opted out of the grant was Manchester in 2014 and according to the survey, over half of Manchester (55%) parents are struggling with the cost of uniforms.

The other top regions struggling with the cost of school uniforms include: Edinburgh (68%), Glasgow (58%), Newcastle (56%) and Liverpool (54%).

Alex Grace, Managing Director of Banana Moon Clothing said: “The pressure of coping with school uniform costs are concerning, so it is imperative that school and parent associations think carefully when selecting an official supplier which offers quality and value for money for parents.

“Long lasting, quality products as well as extra incentives that can be put back into the school are key to a happy relationship and, as a result, happier parents who feel like they are getting a good quality uniform for their children at a fair price.”

For top tips on how you can save money on your child’s school uniform, go to: https://www.banana-moon-clothing.co.uk/blog/cutting-cost-school-uniforms